Pages

How to Write A Rogerian Letter

How to Write A Rogerian Letter. Surely, everyone has written a letter at one point in one's life. Indeed, letters come in many forms, and their content naturally differs from one to the next. A Rogerian letter is just one of them. But writing one can be a bit tricky. Here are some tips on how to write a Rogerian letter.

First things first: keep in mind that a letter is a personal correspondence. This means that you will most likely use the first-person voice in your Rogerian letter. What this further implies is that you need to be more intimate, so to speak, with the tone of your language. In other words, write your Rogerian letter as though you are writing to someone who is dear to you. Most of the time, you can be casual with your words and sentences in a letter. This applies to Rogerian letters as well.

If Rogerian letters are personal in nature, it follows that you already have an understanding of who your reader or audience is. Use this to your advantage. Begin your Rogerian letter by highlighting your ties with your reader. For example, if your reader is a friend, start by saying how long you have known each other. If your audience is your parents, recall how much they have been a part of your life. In short, the point is to re-establish your link with your reader.

Continue writing your Rogerian letter by introducing the issue that you want to address. Be neutral at this point. Your aim at this stage is to let your reader become aware of something that you want resolved. Briefly state some of the reasons why they need to lend an ear to the issue. In other words, let them know the issue and the urgency of resolving it.

Now that they have an idea of what you want to talk about in your Rogerian letter, the next step is to acknowledge the possible responses of your reader. Let them realize that you know fully well their contentions. Discuss their take on the issue and, whenever possible, point out the strengths of their potential reactions. This helps draw their attention and, consequently, prevent hostile reactions ahead.

Ease your reader towards your arguments. Tell them of alternatives to their responses without expressly saying that the alternatives are, in fact, your arguments. Do this by informing your audience about the other options. Remind them that, as friends or family, for instance, it is better for everyone to think about all the possible choices.

At this point of your Rogerian letter, state your claim, then introduce your arguments. While doing this, keep in mind to use neutral language or a friendly tone. Do not be confrontational. You do not want your audience to stop reading your Rogerian letter all of a sudden. Rather, you need them to keep reading and to get acquainted with your arguments. State why your arguments are also worth considering.

End your Rogerian letter by restating your claim, and why you think your reader should at least give your claim a thought. That's it. If you'd like to know more about the Rogerian argument method of writing an essay, you may go here.